June 2008

June 26, 2008

Spy comedies were never really a wildly popular type of flick until a certain 'shagadelic' agent came along and turned the genre around. Since then we've had agents like Codi Banks, the Spy Kids and even a film based on the TV series I Spy. But long before any of these characters came along, a sophistcated, debonair super spy was keeping the world safe.

No, not that Bond guy. I'm talking about Maxwell Smart, the gadget saavy, snappy dialogue-spewing agent who reappears in one of this summer's most hyped films Get Smart. But since Don Adams has since passed, this time around Max's shoes (or shoe phones) are filled by Steve Carrell. And would you believe the results aren't bad?

Our story opens in Washington, where a museum exhibit assures the public that CONTROL, the former super spy organiztion that kept the nation safe for years, was disbanded after the Cold War. But little do they know that CONTROL is alive and...well, so-so, since the organization seems to be made up of two cliques: the agents who go on secret missions and live an exciting lifestyle and the analysts who build the spy toys and pour over hours of information. Analyst Maxwell Smart (Carrell) has just taken his spy competency test, hoping to step out from behind his desk and into the field.

He gets his chance when CONTROL headquarters, along with the identities of all their agents, are compromised by the terrorist organization KAOS. The only other agent still undercover is Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), a skillful and deadly femme fatale who ends up being paired with the newly-promoted Smart. They're sent to Russia to try to stop KAOS from using atomic weapons to ransom the globe. Hilarity ensues.

While the movie relies more on slapstick-style laughs and less on witty dialogue (unlike the TV show), it's easy to see that the actors are really getting into their roles and having fun with them. Carrell and Hathaway have a nice chemistry behind them, while Dwayne Johnson (The Rock, for you wrestling fans) plays a fun/confident dashing super spy and friend to Max. Terrence Stamp is cold and ruthless as the villain Siegfried, but constantly surrounded by his less-than-bloodthirsty henchmen Shtarker (Ken Davitian) and Dalip (Dalip Singh). Even the bit parts of analysts Bruce and Lloyd (Masi Oka and Nate Torrence) lend themselves to a few laughs. But to me, the biggest surprise came in the form of Alan Arkin as The Chief. A fiery old timer, Arkin breathes life into what could have been a bland role, flying an airplane with obvious skill and even fist-fighting the Vice President. Plus, with cameos by James Caan, Bill Murray and Patrick Wharburton, it's easy to see that this movie has talent.

Be forewarned, though: if you're looking for a remake of the TV show, keep walkin'. While the characters are fairly similar, the script has been updated and the jokes can be hit or miss. Carrell's Smart is bumbling but far from dumb - most of his antics are simply counterintuitive to the situation but somehow (almost) always work. While his use of gadgets is here, he only uses the trademark shoe phone once. And when Carrell gives voice to Maxwell Smart's famous catchphrases, they sound a bit forced.

But even with its flaws, the film is a fun one and worth the price of a movie ticket. While the script is simply okay, the talented stars end up carrying the film the rest of the way and, let's face it, in the case of Get Smart, you can't exactly expect Shakespeare.

June 25, 2008

I know that "The Incredible Hulk" sounded like a really cool movie. It sounded so awesome that I decided to go see it. But I didn't think it sounded like a cool movie for your two-year-old.

But, hey, I'm not a parent, why do I know? If you think violence and sex are appropriate viewing material for your little one, it's really not my concern (at least, it won't be until your bundle of joy becomes a ward of the state and my tax dollars are fixing the damage done in his/her formative years).

Your poor parenting techniques unfortunately became my problem a little early when the toddler in question started around the first chase scene through Rio de Janiero. The mewling was a little distracting, but hey, I had some yelling of soldiers and big booms to cover it up.

When the screaming continued upon Bruce Banner's recovery from the latest "incident," I had about five minutes allotted for you to a) settle him/her down or b) remove her from the theater. I paid a solid $7.50 to enjoy my Hulk in peace and quiet. Well, not peace and quiet, but with no children crying to distract me from the Edward Norton goodness.

And I tried, I really tried to ignore the constant whimpers and intermittant screams from the back row. I did. I don't want to be the witch who stands up in the middle of the theater to scream at the nice young family behind her (actually, I did, but - unlike you- I care about what people think of me).

When the crying kept it up and you took her halfway down the stairs, I was thrilled. She stopped and we had a good 10 minutes of uninterrupted Hulk SMASH!

And then the cry started again. I waited a whole 15 minutes for you to haul the kid away before I implemented swivel head and laser stare of death. So you're return glare was a little out of line, doncha think?

Thirty minutes, three big fight scenes and one love scene later, our talkative little toddler obviously didn't like Ed's take on the comic book and kept the whole crying thing to a steady wail. Out of respect for her opinions, maybe that would have been a good time to leave. I know that eating a $7.50 movie ticket would probably suck, but try to have a kid without such discerning tastes, okay?

If I could ask for a small favor, could you please let me know which showings of "Wanted" and "Hancock" you'll be bringing our burgeoning movie critic to, so I can plan ahead accordingly that would be great.

June 24, 2008

The last time we saw the Hulk, he was knee deep
in psychodrama and daddy issues, a study in the psychology of stress
and dual natures."The Incredible Hulk" is a little less introspective. Or, as
better summarized by the titular hero, "HULK SMASH!"

The story leaps
in alongside "Hulk," closer to a remake than a sequel. Explained in a
nifty, wordless opening sequence, Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton)
undergoes his tragic lab accident and subsequently fleeing General
"Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) and his military grunts, all the
while pining for his lady love, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).

The movie
leaps to the streets of Rio de Janiero, Brazil, a lush setting begging
to be filmed, with broad panoramas. Banner has been hiding out in this
gorgeous filming locale, trying to cure himself of the mutation and
staying under the radar of the General, who is trying to capture the
scientist and wants to abuse his powers for war.

Online, he makes
contact with Mr. Blue, an elusive scientist who promises a cure if
Banner can get him the right data and that data means our hero must
return to the States.

The arrival of a military strike team,
led by Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), prompts an "incident" and we see the
Hulk for the first time. One of the best cinematic decisions here is
not to show all of the Hulk immediately. The audience sees glimpses,
green in the shadow and clear tells of the monster unleashed by Banner,
but not the money shot. It teases the audience and gets excitement up.

Upon
Banner's return to civilization, he seeks out his true love, Betty, and
the data that promises an antidote. The General and his military
forces, including a genetically altered Blonsky, pursue him and the
Hulk emerges. Repeatedly.

Blonsky's military experiments
ultimately get out of control and he transforms into The Abomination, a
nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression who poses the only
real threat to the Hulk. The rest of the movie descends into a good,
old-fashioned comic-book style fights with big green monsters pounding
each other into the pavement, crashing helicopters, using police cars
as boxing gloves and ripping apart New York City rooftops.

This
movie managed to satisfy both of my cinematic personalities — the
hopeless romantic and the bang 'em up, comic book-fan, action fiend.

The
romance between Banner and his lady love, Betty, is the classic monster
and the maiden tale and made me want to swoon every time she looked
into his poor angst-ridden eyes, his looming green presence and loved
him anyway. It's the kind of love the average person dreams of, but
it's particularly poignant as beauty embraces a true beast. The only
thing this needed was more.

What is going to bring most people
in, however, is the smash and bang of two huge brutes tearing it up.
Metal flies, bodies break and CGI monsters go toe-to-toe. The beats
aren't great and the tension doesn't really fly until the final fight
sequence, but it's classic Marvel-style.

The movie, of course,
left several gaping holes for sequels, including a synergistic
appearance by Robert Downey, Jr. The cameos by Stan Lee and Lou Ferigno
also add a bit of the "squee" factor to the movie and left me grinning
at the screen.

With decent action and a sweet romance, "The Incredible Hulk" isn't quite incredible, but it's still a ragin' good time.

June 18, 2008

Quick note: If you haven't seen the newest Indiana Jones film yet and want to avoid knowing the specifics of the film, I recommend not reading this. Spoilers abound.

Okay, back to business. I know that the new Indiana Jones film has been out for a awhile now and I figure that by this time, everyone who wanted to see it has seen it.

So instead of (just) me blabbing about my take, I want to know what you thought.

And feel free to talk openly about the film. As I said, if you haven't seen the film, this is your last chance to bail and keep the plot a surprise.

...

Now that they're gone, I can honestly say that I was kinda' underwhelmed with the film. Yell at me as much as you want for having high hopes, but I had thought this film would be a little more coherent. I especially got lost toward the end when, as I feared, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg forwent any good stunts and simply went bananas with the CGI.

I have a friend who saw it and liked it, then proceeded to give me crap when I said the ending was too far out there. "Yeah," he said, "because an ark with ghosts pouring out or a cup that grants eternal life is so realistic." True, but I think that having interdimensional beings/aliens who've been dead for thousands of years suddenly come back to life in skeleton form as soon as one's skull is reattached, then join to form one alien, then vaporize our villain with it's brain, then take off in a giant spacecraft into the "space between spaces" trumps those a bit.

Don't get me wrong - there were parts of the film that were just plain cool (and a lot of fun). The motorcycle chase that ended in the library was excellent, as was the escape from the horde of army ants and the bulk of the prolonged jungle fight. But there were also moments like Shia LeBoeuf swinging throught the trees like Tarzan and Marion driving the good guys' vehicle off a cliff and into a rubber tree that made me cringe a bit.

In the end, I guess it was an okay movie, but I guess I just expected more. But don't just take my word for it. What did you think? A film worthy of the Indiana Jones legacy? Or has Spielberg and Lucas just lost it? Tell us what you think!

Winston was pretty much at the top of his field, well known for his make up effects and animatronics and setting the bar for today's filmmakers. Stan was an old school type of guy - his heyday was back in the '80s and early '90s before the rise of the computer generated imagery (which his company had started to dabble in recently).

Through puppetry and stop-motion animation, Stan and his people created some of the most iconic ghosties, ghoulies and long-legged beasties in cinema, including the Predator, the aliens from the Alien movie franchise, the socially challenged Edward Scissorhands, the Terminator, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and, most recently, the suit that Robert Downey Jr. aka Tony stark wears in the film Iron Man.

I was fortunate enough to attend a talk given by Winston in 2000 and it was obvious that the man was infactuated with his craft. He loved it and, in return, it gave him great joy and success. It was surprising to find out, then, that when he was asked what the his least-favorite film he had worked on was, it was Jurassic Park. In fact, he said he hated the film. Why? It was the first time CGI had been incorporated so heavily into a major motion picture and he said that when he watched it the first time, he realized he was "about to be out of a job."

For the sake of every movie lover, thank goodness it wasn't true. It's safe to say Winston was a pioneer in his field and his influence will be felt for years to come.

June 10, 2008

Growing up, I remember watching cheesy 70's Kung Fu films on cable. There always seemed to be an endless supply of them available for any Saturday afternoon (they rotated every other week with Godzilla movies) and, if you looked close enough, you could usually see the wires as the ancient Kung Fu fighters flew through the air.

This is pretty much the source that Dreamworks has tapped to create its latest animated adventure - Kung Fu Panda. But that's not a bad thing. The film knows where its roots are and has a blast with it - stylized Kung Fu moves, the wise Kung Fu masters, the epic battle between good and evil. That's not to say the film lacks from any substance. A decent storyline is thrown in, even if it feels a bit rushed, along with enough appeal to not only catch the attention of little Billy and Susie but their parents, as well.

The story starts with Po the Panda (Jack Black), a huge Kung Fu fan who's heart is the only thing bigger than his stomach. Born into the family business of slinging noodles, he dreams of something more - becoming a Kung Fu master. Meanwhile, up in the mountain monestary, the ancient and wise Oogway the tortoise (Randall Duk Kim) has had a vision that the evil martial arts expert Tai Lung the Snow Leopard (Ian McShane) is about to break out of his personal supermax prison and wreak havoc on the world. Oogway warns his former pupil turned master Shifu the Red Panda (Dustin Hoffman) that they must find the Dragon Warrior, the only being powerful enough to stop Tai Lung. Shifu looks to one of his five student masters (Tigress - Angelina Jolie, Viper - Lucy Liu, Crane - David Cross, Monkey - Jackie Chan and Mantis - Seth Rogen), also known as the "Furious Five", to be named Dragon Warrior. But when Po is identified to be the chosen one, everyone is sure a mistake has been made and it becomes a race against time before the villain shows up to steal a powerful artifact from the monestary and trash everyone in the process.

The animation and visuals in this film are top-notch. The bulk of the film uses traditional computer animation to recreate the Chinese landscape, using bright, vibrant colors to give it an ancient painterly feel (they've come a loooong way since Antz). The opening sequence, on the other hand, is a hand-drawn dream sequence that uses deeper, richer colors to give it the feeling of traditional shadow puppetry. The visual effect is very nice.

A lot of the same can be said about the fight sequences in the film. The way all the characters move is completely exaggerated (this is an animated film), but is also very nice to look at. As Po and his companions become more confident in their Kung Fu skills, the animated fights become crisp, clean and a treat for the eyes, though Po tends to use his gut when fighting - literally. The best sequence of the film is probably Tai Lung's escape from his prison - he claws and kicks his way out of booby trap after booby trap meant to slow him down. Very cool.

Final thoughts? While it's not the best animated flick I've ever seen, it's pretty solid and fun. The stylized animation is very nice and the voice acting is great. The story does feel rushed in places, though, especially toward the end. For those with kids, take 'em - they'll love it. But if you're just the casual movie goer who was a bit curious about how a fat panda could become an ancient Chinese warrior, it may be worth waiting for the rental. For now, I'm wondering what the sequel will be called. Ninjitsu Aardvark? Karate Tapeworm? Tae Kwon Doe Fruit Bat? Hmmm...

June 05, 2008

With all the pointless and bad movies out there, people need to have a reason to go to the theater and spend the outrageous prices.

Nobody wants to be disappointed in what they expect to be a big hit, but if comedies bomb, there's a chance of getting at least one good laugh.

In case you've forgotten, Wall-E will be hitting the screens at the end of the month. I'm sure The Strangers is calling you to spend your theater going cash on it, but hold out for the children's film. I guarantee you'll have a better time.

Disney Pixar was nice enough to give us another trailer to intice us to go.

It worked on me. See if it works on you.

And Get Smart, while slightly on the verge of being pointless based on the TV show made movie schtick (Charlie's Angels, Starsky and Hutch, Dukes of Hazzard, etc.), is promising for a chuckle or two.

I suppose if you insist on watching the mundane, I can let you live vicariously through me at least.